A Message to You 1
Introduction 2
A Note on Foster Care 6

"Think About It"-And Maybe Write About It 7

Insight
(ASKING TOUGH QUESTIONS) 10

Don't Know What the Word Mommy Means Youniqiue Symone 12

Beauty is More Than Skin Deep
Danielle Wilson 16

Controlling My Temper
Christopher A. Bogle 21

The Answer Was Me
Eliott Castro 25

Color Me Different
Jamal K. Greene 28

Independence
(BEING YOUR OWN PERSON) 34

Was a Beauty School Sucker
Tonya Leslie 36

My Weight Is No Burden
Charlene Johnson 40

Losing My Friends to Weed
Jamel Salter 44

Out, Without a Doubt
Craig J. Jaffe 48

I'm Black, He's Puerto Rican…So What?
Artiqua Steed 55

Relationships
(CONNECTING TO PEOPLE WHO MATTER) 60

All Talk and No Action
Elizabeth Thompson 62

She's My Sister (Not Foster)
Tamara Ballard 66

Bonding Through Cooking
Aurora Breville 70

A Love Too Strong
Tamecka Crawford 77

Learning to Forgive
Christopher A. Bogle 81

Initiative
(TAKING CHARGE) 86

It Takes Work to Flirt
Danny Gong 88

My Struggle With Weed
Craig J. Jaffe 93

College Can Be Hell
Tamecka Crawford 96

Poetry Brought Out the Performer in Me
Shaniqua Sockwell 101

How I Graduated
Angi Baptiste 106

Creativity
(USING IMAGINATION) 110

How Writing Helps Me
Terry Da Costa 112

Why I Live in a Fantasy World
Cassandra Thadal 115

Walking Out the Anger
Tamara Ballard 120

Humor
(Finding What's Funny) 124

My Hair is Blue-But I Am Not a Freak!
Lenny Jones 126

How To Survive Shopping With Mom
Chris Kanarick 130

Morality
(DOING THE RIGHT THING) 134

A Mother to My Mother's Children
Charlene Johnson 136

No One Spoke Up For Irma
Ana Angelica Pines 141

I'm a 17-Year-Old Therapist
Quantwilla L. Johnson 147

Soldier Girl
Max Moran 150

How I Made Peace With the Past
Paula Byrd 155

The Seven Resiliencies-A Summary 160
About Youth Communication 163
About Project Resilience 167
Glossary 170
Guide To Topics 171
Index 174
About the Editors 179